Romelu Lukaku has Man Utd record in sight - but needs four against Liverpool to trump a mighty No 1

Romelu Lukaku could become the first Manchester United player to score eight goals in his first eight Premier League matches at Anfield on Saturday.

Despite doubts over an ankle injury, the £75m summer signing played the last half an hour of Belgium's dead rubber against Cyprus in a World Cup qualifier in midweek, even though Roberto Martinez's side had already booked their spot in Russia.

Lukaku was even on the scoresheet in the 4-0 win, taking his tally to 16 goals in 13 appearances in all competitions.

Now the 24-year-old is on the brink of moving clear of Andrew Cole's seven-goal run as United travel to Liverpool in the early kick-off on Saturday.

A single strike against Liverpool would see Lukaku join a small band of legendary strikers in scoring eight goals in their first eight league games.

A brace versus Jurgen Klopp's men would draw him alongside seven past and present forwards. And if Lukaku becomes the first United player to score a hat-trick against the Reds since Dimitar Berbatov in 2010, he would move level on 10 goals with a blast from the past. But can you guess who (before scrolling below).

We take a look at the hotshots Lukaku is primed to emulate after eight league matches and look what happened next after their goalscoring exploits.

The eight goals in eight games group...

Alan Shearer, Blackburn 1992/93

Turning down the lure of Man Utd, the former England captain struck twice on his debut at Crystal Palace. The now MOTD pundit's spree didn't stop at eight goals in eight games. Further efforts at Wimbledon, against Oldham and a double in Blackburn's 7-1 thrashing of Norwich at Ewood Park saw Shearer eventually end his purple patch with 12 goals in 11 games. His first season was cruelly ended by a cruciate ligament injury suffered in December.

Kevin Phillips, Sunderland, 1999/2000

The 5ft 7in forward had already acclimatised to his north east surroundings by the time he got his boots firing in the Premier League. Phillips spent two seasons in the Championship banging in the goals that lifted the Black Cats into the top flight and his exploits didn't stop there.

A hat-trick at Derby on September 18, 1999 took Phillips to the eight-in-eight mark. Despite a relatively lean spell by his standards towards the end of the season where he scored just one in four games, he ended the season with 30 goals and the Golden Boot.

Kevin Phillips won the Golden Boot in 1999/2000Credit:
Getty Images

Jermain Defoe, Portsmouth, Feb 2008 to March 2008

The 35-year-old ended a six-match barren run by swapping Tottenham for the south coast in the transfer window nine years ago. However, after his goal splurge he failed to score in his next five top-flight matches which also resulted in Pompey collecting just one point. In fairness, Portsmouth had bigger fish to fry with their run and capture of the FA Cup, a competition Defoe was unfortunately ineligible for.

Jermain Defoe ended a six-match barren spell when he joined PompeyCredit:
Getty Images

Francesco Baiano, Derby, 1997/98

The Italian needed two games to adjust to the hustle and bustle of the English game before getting up and running with a strike at Aston Villa. The now 49-year-old, who was voted one of the club's best ever imports, ended the season with 12 league goals but his purple patch was about as good as it got for the diminutive forward. Baiano ended up scoring 16 goals in 64 appearances in the East Midlands.

Francesco Baiano was a fans' favourite at DerbyCredit:
PA

The nine goals in eight games party...

Mark Viduka, Leeds, 2000/2001

'Big Dukes' established a formidable partnership with Alan Smith but he will always be remembered for scoring all four goals in the thrilling 4-3 win over Liverpool in November 2000. The Australian added another eight goals to his league campaign in his debut season in the English top flight.

Les Ferdinand, Newcastle, 1995/96

Part of Kevin Keegan's 'Entertainers', Ferdinand scored three goals in his first two games for Newcastle following a £6m move from QPR.

Ferdinand's exploits didn't stop at nine goals in eight. A hat-trick in a 6-1 win over Wimbledon took him to 12 in nine before Spurs, the club he would later join two seasons later, stopped him in his tracks. After just one goal in six games at the end of the season, Ferdinand's effort in a 1-1 draw against Tottenham on the final day took his overall tally to 25.

Dion Dublin, Aston Villa, 1998/99

The now Homes Under the Hammer presenter scored five goals in his first two games for Villa including a hat-trick against Southampton following an autumn switch from Coventry.

After two against Arsenal in his first eight games in Claret and Blue, Dublin went on an eight-goal drought that ironically came to a halt against his former club. It was only a consolation as the Sky Blues had the last laugh in a 4-1 win.

Dublin only scored once more between February and the end of the season, taking his tally for Villa to 11.

Diego Costa, Chelsea, 2014/15

It hasn't been all tantrums and tempestuous behaviour from Costa at the Bridge. The Brazilian-born forward enjoyed a lengthy honeymoon which included a hat-trick against Swansea which saw him score seven goals in four games. Costa only scored more than one goal in a game on one other occasion that season - against Swansea no less - and the rest of his time in west London has been well documented.

Papiss Cisse, Newcastle, Feb to April 2012

The Senegalese made little impact when Newcastle slipped out of the top flight two seasons ago. It was in stark contrast to his explosive arrival where a triple of doubles kept Alan Pardew's side in the chase for a Champions League spot. Cisse scored 13 goals in 14 appearances as Newcastle finished fifth. The summer break didn't do Cisse any favours, though. He needed seven league games to get off the mark and only scored three more goals in the top flight that calendar year.

Kevin Campbell, Everton, 1999

Evertonians weren't that enamoured with Campbell's arrival on loan from Trabsonspor in April 1999. But Campbell defied those critics who suggested his career was petering out with nine goals in eight appearances to safeguard Everton's top-flight status.

Sergio Aguero, Manchester City, 2011/12

The Argentine declared upon signing with City that he'd be fine in the north west as he didn't like hot weather. Five goals later in his first two home games and Aguero was already at home at the Etihad.

Aguero's goalscoring sequence ended in City's pummelling against rivals United with the popular forward scoring the third in their still incredible 6-1 win at Old Trafford.

The 10 goals in eight games one-man band

And so we come to the sole player who has amassed the most goals in their opening eight Premier League matches with their respective new club. Take a bow, Micky Quinn.

Quinn, in fact, reached double figures after just six games and then drew blanks against Man Utd and Nottingham as Coventry's early season good form suffered a minor blip.

Micky Quinn struck 10 goals after six games for Coventry

Quinn had to wait until the final two games of the season to score in successive games to finish his debut top-flight season with 17 goals in 26 appearances.

So just the four required against Liverpool to break the Mighty Quinn's record. It's over to you Romelu...